Gloria ~ May 19

 

DRIVING>>>>PART 4

 

 

So. One hurdle jumped or snuck under or otherwise manipulated into submission.  

Finally... ‘Got License.”

 

Tried to rent a car to get to the Huber Farm but all I had was a stamped Learner’s Permit.  No reputable (Avis; Hertz) or semi reputable (Rent a Wreck) would deign to loan me a car so I found this place called Not Nu Autos.

 

Trust me…it was Not Nu. It was kind of scratched and scarred and more than a bit cranky. I hired my instructor for an extra lesson just to learn how to drive this thing. The issue was the gas pedal, just stepping on it lightly had no effect. My instructor pushed my leg down yelling  PUSH PUSH!!  It pretty much had to be floored to get it going

 

Then he told me to get the thing washed as he was embarrassed to be seen in this contraption.

 

I was ready to start my trip!

 

Decided to leave at sunrise….hoping I’d be alone on the highway and not kill anyone.  

 

Driving on the open road with no cars around was amazing! SOO much more fun than driving in NY through all that traffic.

 

PUSHED down on that pedal just like I was told! 

 

WOW!!

 

Then I looked down and saw the speedometer…

 

95 mph

 

At that moment  I swerved way over into the oncoming lane. 

 

Somehow I stayed calm and remembered what I had learned about getting out of a swerve. Whatever you do…don’t brake. Just sort of drive into the swerve and get it back onto the correct lane.

 

It happened one more more time…push on the gas…high speed…swerve…get it back. 

 

Fortunately no cars around and no police and no one died!

 

Managed to determine the exact pressure to put on the gas and the feel of the correct speed and proceeded on my somewhat  less than lethal way. 

 

Finally reached  Libertyville, just had to go through the town then proceed up the hill to the farm

 

And I was stopped by the police.

 

Apparently there was fair going on  and I would have to turn around  and go the back way.

 

Turning around involved executing the dreaded three point turn.

 

That’s the OTHER manoeuvre I could never manage. Had decided if I ever ran into one I’d just somehow drive around it until I found another way out.

 

This well thought out plan was in no way going to work. I was surrounded by well meaning police and firemen watching this girl trying  to extricate her Not Nu auto and get it pointed in vaguely the right direction.

 

Was determined not to be this silly female who had to get help doing the most basic tasks…

 

And besides…I am also an actor…and this was my stage…I was determined to execute the performance and not dismay my audience! And magically…just like the parking…one shot and it was done.

 

 

Half an hour later I finally arrived at the Huber Farm!